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Lambert: Holt has nothing to prove

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert feels striker Grant Holt has nothing to prove against their former club Norwich City on Sunday.

Lambert and Holt combined to form a major part of Norwich's success between 2009 and 2011, which saw the club earn consecutive promotions from League One to the Premier League.

Experienced forward Holt scored 68 goals in 154 league appearances for Norwich before joining Wigan Athletic in July 2013, a year after Lambert left Carrow Road for Villa Park in acrimonious circumstances.

The pair were reunited in January when Lambert signed Holt on loan until the end of the season, with the 32-year-old set to play against Norwich for the first time since his departure in a key Premier League fixture this weekend.

And Lambert has backed the former Nottingham Forest and Shrewsbury Town man to put emotion to one side and perform to the best of his ability.

"It will be nice for him - he's looking forward to it," the Scot told the club's official website.

"It's his first time, it will be new for him. But he has been around the block though so there won't be any sentimental feelings in his make-up.

"He knows he's here to play for Villa to try and help us beat Norwich, but I am sure the Norwich crowd will give him a good reception for what he did for them.

"I don't think Grant has anything to prove to Norwich. He carried that club on his shoulders for three years.

"He deserves a lot of credit ,along with the other lads there. He was a major catalyst for Norwich, he was great for me. He was player of the year there for three seasons in succession."